Game apparatus.



O. S. WHE

. GAME APPA APPLICATION FILE 1911.

Wilma/sow CIzarles S.Whea lley NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES S. WHEATLEY, OF NEEDHAM HEIGHTS, MASSACHUSETTS.

GAME APPARATUS.

To aZZ whom 2'75 may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES S. W'I-IEAT- LEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Needham Heights, in the county of Norfolk and State of lflassachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Game Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in game apparatus, the object of the invention being to provide an amusement device which may be positioned upon a table or the like and which embodies, in connection wit-h a suitable board, men or checks having their faces printed or otherwise inscribed to designate negative replies or answers,-the object of the game being to direct or move the men or checks so that all of the said men will be turned to have all of their faces show a like inscription.

In the accompanying drawings there has been illustrated a simple and preferred embodiment of the device, and in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the board showing some of the men or checks positioned thereon; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the board; F ig. 3 is a view of one of the checks looking at one of the spaces thereof; Fig. 4 is a similar view looking at the opposite faces of the checks; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a die which may be employed; Fig. 6 is a plan view of the board showing the position of the men thereon when the game is to be played without the use of the dice.

The purpose of the amusement device is to provide a game wherein two players or sides having or assuming different positions regarding a problem or question are pitted against each other with the object of having one of the players or sides brought over to agree with the opposing or negative aosition taken by the opposite players or si es. To accomplish this, I have provided a board 1 which is described adjacent its edges with spaced numerals, the same numbering from 1 to 12, inclusive. WVe will suppose that each of the twelve numerals designates a jurymans seat, while the board itself may be supposed to represent the jury box, and that the issue of the game is to determine the innocence or guilt of a supposed culprit. The men or checks, designated by the numerals 2, represent the jurymen. These checks have their opposite faces of a different coloring or inscription. One of the faces Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed. April 11, 1911.

Patented June 3, 1913.

Serial No. 620,494.

of the checks is preferably inscribed with the word Guilty, or Yes. The opposite faces of the checks are preferably inscribed with the words Not guilty or No. The checks or men are positioned within reach of the opposing players, and wlien the game is played with dice, one of the sides or players is permitted to roll the dice first, the second side or player is then permitted to roll the dice, and the player or side totaling the highest number is permitted to place one of his men upon one of the numbers or jury chairs on the board. The player, of course, places his man with its face upward to indicate his position in the decision, or whether the prisoner is guilty or not guilty. The dice are thrown or rolled successively by each of the opposing sides until all of the jury seats are occupied. It is usual in such instances that there is a difference of opinion between the jurymen, or in other words, that the turned up faces of the men do not correspond. In this instance, the players resume the throwing of the dice and the one throwing the highest score is entitled to turn over one of the men upon the opposing sides. This is continued until one of the players or sides succeeds in turning over all of the opponent players men so that the inscription of all of the faces of the men agree, when a de cision of either guilty or not guilty is reached.

In Fig. 6 of the drawings, I have illustrated the manner of playing the game without the employment of the dice. In this instance the players of the opposing sides each receive six men which they alternately place upon the numbers or seats on the board. The men should be so placed as to prevent an opponent from jumping,

and the proper arrangement of the men, with the above object in view renders the game a scientific problem. The player or side having a go or turn, after the last man has been placed, to fill the twelve jury seats, is entitled to move two of the men to the center of the board, one of the said men belonging to the player and designating the position which he takes in the game, say, guilty or yes and one of his opponents players which is, of course, inscribed with the words Not guilty or No. This move is the only one in which a player can move a man belonging to the opposing side. This move is the main one of the game as the men taken from the jury seats should be so selected as to force an opposing player to move his man where it can be jumped. Neither of the tWo men in the center may be moved back on a number or jury seat again until at least one play has been made along the numbers With one of the remaining ten upon the numbers or seats-then (and also Whenever impossible to play on the numbers) a players own man may be moved from the center to a number, and any man may then be moved by its owner from numbers to center as a turn, (the latter provided an opponents man is still in the centerif not, one of each are selected and moved as heretofore stated), but never can more than one of'each be off the chairs or numbers and in the center at one time. The man jumped by one side or player is turned over to agree with the position taken by the player, and this is continued until one of the players blocks the move of his opponent,

when the said player is permitted to turn all of his opponents men to agree with his own, thus the urymen are supposed to be all of the same opinion and the verdict is reached.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

A game apparatus consisting of a board provided with consecutively arranged numbers from 1 to 12 inclusive designating j urymen, and a plurality of checks having indicia of Yes on one side and indicia of No on the opposite side and adapted to be placed in position on the board to cover the numerals thereon with either side in up permost position to have positive and negative verdict indicating values.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES S. VVHEATLEY.

WVitnesses:

WM. E. Snow, F. E. lVmsLow.

Copies of this patent maybe obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

